Teams & Riders Israel Premier Tech

[ontheroad]

Sylvan Adams Response:
"Listen, I'm pleased with a few things, very pleased. We finished the race safely. Our rider, Riccitello, crossed the finish line together with two of his teammates, so we didn’t lose time against our rivals. That was good. And most importantly, we got through the day safely, but we also received solidarity from the professional peloton, who decided to ride with us and send words of support. They don’t blame us for any of this at all."

"Unfortunately, this place probably has the biggest cycling fans in the world, the best fans there are. And it’s a shame that the finish was ruined because no winner was declared. They neutralized the race three kilometers before the finish. And the fans, the true fans, didn’t get to see a real race finish. They’re going home wondering what happened. In fact, they’re probably angry at the 'protesters.' But that’s how it is."

"Tomorrow is a new day, and we move forward. This is a Grand Tour, and we’ll keep going. I’m sure we’ll continue all the way to Madrid and finish this race. As I said, we received support from all the other teams and riders who don’t blame us for this situation. We cannot let the haters win; no sports team in the world would be safe if we let this happen. [content deleted]

the team official announcement:
"Israel Premier Tech is a professional team, and as such, it remains committed to the Vuelta a España. Any other course of action would set a dangerous precedent in the cycling industry, not only for us but for all teams. Israel Premier Tech has expressed its respect for the right to protest, as long as the protests remain peaceful and do not endanger the safety of the peloton."

Did Adams canvas all of the other teams and riders to come to this conclusion. That's just PR spin since all of the other riders and teams will not have a uniform opinion on this. Many of them will be living in a cycling bubble and who are either unaware of the ongoing humanitarian issues of what is being perpetrated in Gaza or who simply choose to remain silent. That should not be misconstrued as support.

As for the comment about the haters, that is shameless stuff where he wants to portray his team as the victims [content deleted

 

[jono]

Did Adams canvas all of the other teams and riders to come to this conclusion. That's just PR spin since all of the other riders and teams will not have a uniform opinion on this. Many of them will be living in a cycling bubble and who are either unaware of the ongoing humanitarian issues of what is being perpetrated in Gaza or who simply choose to remain silent. That should not be misconstrued as support.

As for the comment about the haters, that is shameless stuff where he wants to portray his team as the victims [deleted content]

I think a generous interpretation is that his riders received support, at least sympathy, from some of their colleagues within the peloton.

I don't think anyone is going out of their way to send words of solidarity to Mr. Adams himself.

 

[Samamba]

Did Adams canvas all of the other teams and riders to come to this conclusion. That's just PR spin since all of the other riders and teams will not have a uniform opinion on this. Many of them will be living in a cycling bubble and who are either unaware of the ongoing humanitarian issues of what is being perpetrated in Gaza or who simply choose to remain silent. That should not be misconstrued as support.

As for the comment about the haters, that is shameless stuff where he wants to portray his team as the victims [content deleted]

Tbf i've heard a lot of riders (not publicly) say they do not push for Israel to be out because it indeed would set a bad precedent, but also and more importantly they do feel bad for riders like Riccitello (yes Adams wants to spin it towards a different interpretation of "support"), who has made a big goal out of this Vuelta and has been riding insanely well. It looks that the consensus is exactly that. Israel is still here for Riccitello, they stay away from going for stagewins right now.

So support to the team or the riders of the team is not the same as support for yk the ones that sponsor the team.

 

[red_flanders]

will the team keep going in 2026? they'll really need an High-Road jersey, Adams to shut up and never be seen with the team, and Premiertech to up their budget. otherwise I don't see how the safety of the riders can be guaranteed. the Bilbao protests will spur other protester to go to races

I'm not sure caving into pressure is the path to eliminating the pressure.

 

[Sciatic]

But it might send a message to the protestors of "We are also against what's happening."

Ah, didn't think of that

 

[aruipksni]

Team manager Oscar Guerrero:
"We’ve said it clearly, we have no doubt that we’re continuing. We are a sports team, we came to compete. I understand the race organizer Kiko, I respect him, and it’s hard to see how a beautiful stage in Bilbao was ruined. We’re talking about 180 families that make their living from this. If we say we’re leaving, then we’d have to abandon the rest of the races."

"We are fighters, and an athlete never gives up. This isn’t about politics; in these nine years, we’ve never talked about politics. We know why this project started, and now it’s bigger with more stars, but the mentality remains the same."

"It’s permissible for people to protest, but it should be done peacefully. We cannot tolerate physical and verbal humiliation. Sylvan Adams is here. It was very tough for him too. He will have to decide what the future of the team will be. He sees the tension and can only offer support. He sees the difficulties the riders are facing."

 

[yaco]

Of course they can, stop with this nonsense. On top of that they are represented in IOC.

Why do you post when you have no idea what is being discussed.

 

[scribers]

Why do you post when you have no idea what is being discussed.

This has never stopped me!

 

[scribers]

Team manager Oscar Guerrero:
"We’ve said it clearly, we have no doubt that we’re continuing. We are a sports team, we came to compete. I understand the race organizer Kiko, I respect him, and it’s hard to see how a beautiful stage in Bilbao was ruined. We’re talking about 180 families that make their living from this. If we say we’re leaving, then we’d have to abandon the rest of the races."

"We are fighters, and an athlete never gives up. This isn’t about politics; in these nine years, we’ve never talked about politics. We know why this project started, and now it’s bigger with more stars, but the mentality remains the same."

"It’s permissible for people to protest, but it should be done peacefully. We cannot tolerate physical and verbal humiliation. Sylvan Adams is here. It was very tough for him too. He will have to decide what the future of the team will be. He sees the tension and can only offer support. He sees the difficulties the riders are facing."

Promotion of the state is political by definition.

This is in no way an opinion, but an objective fact. And maybe something cycling will see fit to take a look at as they navigate issues relating to team sponsorships.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

One thing's for sure, I wouldn't want to be doing the ITT next week if I was an IPT rider.

 

[Rou]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/i-expected-major-protests-during-the-tour-zonneveld-weights-in-on-vuelta-protests

Zonneveld's opinion.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/i-expected-major-protests-during-the-tour-zonneveld-weights-in-on-vuelta-protests

Zonneveld's opinion.

Spain is a far more left-winging country, the reaction was always going to be bigger over there.
Expecting more ruckus in France shows a lacking understanding of European geopolitics.

Also (quote from the article):

He went on to argue that dismissing the team’s identity as separate from the Israeli state is misleading. “Then you could say that it's not officially the Israeli government that's on the shirt, but that's just a nuance. Gazprom isn't directly the Russian government either, but it is one of the state-owned companies that enables the government to wage the war in Ukraine.

proves my point really...

 

[Netserk]

https://cyclinguptodate.com/cycling/i-expected-major-protests-during-the-tour-zonneveld-weights-in-on-vuelta-protests

Zonneveld's opinion.

I think the UCI have been very clear, so while he may disagree with them, I don't think there's a lack of leadership.

 

[aruipksni]

The organizers of the Vuelta a España cycling race in Spain asked the Israeli cycling team to withdraw from the competition amid disruptive anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests, the team’s owner, philanthropist Sylvan Adams, tells Channel 12 news.

“They called us and asked us to withdraw from the competition,” Adams says. “We’re not leaving. I’m proud of our Israeli name.”

 

[Netserk]

The organizers of the Vuelta a España cycling race in Spain asked the Israeli cycling team to withdraw from the competition amid disruptive anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian protests, the team’s owner, philanthropist Sylvan Adams, tells Channel 12 news.

“They called us and asked us to withdraw from the competition,” Adams says. “We’re not leaving. I’m proud of our Israeli name.”

I've found the conduct of the organisers despicable.

 

[aruipksni]

Reisenberg after today's stage:

"At the start, we still saw the presence of the pro-Palestinian protesters, but as we moved away from Bilbao, everything changed and calmed down. There was very little presence of them, and then suddenly we saw a few Israeli flags, and that felt so good to me, a sense that we might be embarking on a new path, that we can finally return to competing with a clear mind,"

"That’s the feeling I have, and my teammates share it. Personally, from that moment, I felt like I was becoming myself again. I’m now looking forward to my opportunity and for the worst to be behind us. I’m glad we insisted on staying in the race. They won’t erase us from the sporting map—not here, not anywhere."

 

[Red Rick]

I've found the conduct of the organisers despicable.

Asking IPT to leave because of protesters affecting the race is the biggest irony I've seen in cycling.

 

[Cycling111]

I'm not sure caving into pressure is the path to eliminating the pressure.

Tell that to the Russian team Gazprom. UCI revoked their license.

 

[SafeBet]

Tell that to the Russian team Gazprom. UCI revoked their license.

And it was a mistake.

 

[red_flanders]

Tell that to the Russian team Gazprom. UCI revoked their license.

Gosh, that sounds like a totally different situation and process, no?

If the UCI wants to revoke a team's license after whatever due process they have or need, I see that as quite different from a race organization hosting teams for their event, then asking one to leave because enforcing safety at said event has become a hassle.

Other options -

• Step up enforcement at the race in partnership with local authorities (takes time)
• Recognize that certain towns/areas are hotbeds for conflict, and avoid them in the future. When said area complains, work with them to step up control and enforcement measures in that area (takes time)
• Cancel the race, since you can't protect the riders in attendance (sets terrible precedent)

All seem preferable than asking an invited team to leave. Because...well oddly I don't see the teams as responsible for event safety. I see the event organizers as responsible for event safety. Go figure.

 

[Tim Cahill]

And it was a mistake.

Mainly because it deprived us of seeing this roster of heavy hitters in action;

Look at that, the Harlem Globetrotters of the Pro-Conti scene, they even managed to wangle a WT stage before folding, pretty sure it was on the day of the invasion.

 

[SafeBet]

Mainly because it deprived us of seeing this roster of heavy hitters in action;

Look at that, the Harlem Globetrotters of the Pro-Conti scene, they even managed to wangle a WT stage before folding, pretty sure it was on the day of the invasion.

Man you can dig deep. I was only thinking of Scaroni.
Andrea Piccolo? Great actor but I'm pretty sure he'd still be killing the Italian .1 scene if Gazprom hadn't folded.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Reisenberg after today's stage:

"At the start, we still saw the presence of the pro-Palestinian protesters, but as we moved away from Bilbao, everything changed and calmed down. There was very little presence of them, and then suddenly we saw a few Israeli flags, and that felt so good to me, a sense that we might be embarking on a new path, that we can finally return to competing with a clear mind,"

"That’s the feeling I have, and my teammates share it. Personally, from that moment, I felt like I was becoming myself again. I’m now looking forward to my opportunity and for the worst to be behind us. I’m glad we insisted on staying in the race. They won’t erase us from the sporting map—not here, not anywhere."

Stages 15 and 16 will potentially be the ones to have the greatest risk of disruption. The biggest disruptions so far have been in stage 5, and then in stages 10 and especially 11. The first of those was in Catalunya, and the other two in Basque territory (one in the Basque part of Navarra and the other in País Vasco proper). I don't think it's especially surprising. While nationalist sentiment in Galicia is often less visible and makes fewer waves in headlines than that of the Basques and Catalans, they are the third of the three major internal national identities within Spain and I think you're most likely to see similar sentiment fomented there to that in the Basque and Catalan areas as a result.

The ITT, although it may not see the same volume of protestors, will be the easiest to disrupt, of course, as protestors can target individual riders rather than the péloton as a whole, and that will potentially be more of an issue for the IPT riders, and it will likely take fewer protestors in number to create a disruption as well.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Why do you post when you have no idea what is being discussed.

Now that is a good question, will get back to you once i figure it out.

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Libertine Seguros

I feel it's safe to assume that such protests won't stop, much more likely is they will only escalate with time. UCI hence needs to implement a framework on how to proceed. Measures race organisers can take to de-escalate instead of cancelling the event altogether. Somehow i feel, due to the track record UCI has, cancellation will happen first, likely due to teams leaving the event. So again the most vulnerable party, individual rider, will be left with no protection whatsoever. Crazy.